Tesla Model 3 – Four Day Test Drive Review

On my last trip to the Bay area, I was lucky enough to score a rental of a brand new Tesla Model 3 through Turo, the “Air BNB” of personal owner car sharing. Over a four day, 312 mile rental, I had the opportunity to put the Model 3 through its paces traversing the highways and byways of Silicon Valley. This review continues my first blogpost of the Model 3: Tesla Model 3 – First Look Inside & Out

Tesla Model 3 – Four Day Test Drive Review

On my last trip to the Bay area, I was lucky enough to score a rental of a brand new Tesla Model 3 through Turo, the “Air BNB” of personal owner car sharing. Over a four day, 312 mile rental, I had the opportunity to put the Model 3 through its paces traversing the highways and byways of Silicon Valley. This review continues my first blogpost of the Model 3: Tesla Model 3 – First Look Inside & Out Continue reading →

Tesla Model 3 – First Look Inside & Out

Sometimes you get lucky to be at the right place and right time to see something up close and personal that you’ve only been able to dream of seeing live. That happened today, the Sunday after Thanksgiving when I got a chance to sit behind the wheel and explore the inside and out of a brand new Tesla Model 3. While I only had about 10 minutes to explore the Model 3, I wanted to share my first impressions of this amazing new all electric vehicle.

This particular vehicle is the long-range (310 mile) battery with Premium black interior and standard 18′ wheels with the AERO wheel covers. My first impression is that the Model 3 looks more substantial in person. While the overall proportions are taut, it presents itself very well with the lines from every angle looking really good. Panel fit and finish were excellent and the owner demonstrated the solid feel of the vehicle when they asked me to close the trunk. Thunk. Solid! I think the steel body construction for this size vehicle helps give that sense of solidness.

The door handles present with a push on the thicker left side and the handle opens to the right. The doors are very solid with the front doors designed very similarly to the Model S. Inside the doors open with a small button at the top of the arm rests that looks like a power window.

Once inside the Model 3, I noticed several things right away. First the front seats are incredibly comfortable (this is the premium interior – not leather but very close in look and feel). The seat bolsters are wider and a bit flatter than the Model S, which I found to be very comfortable. The driver and front passenger space is very generous with headroom exceptional.

The minimalist dash. The center console is very useable with twin cup holders and a multi-fold compartment. Interior fit and finish appeared to be good from my brief time inside the Model 3. The only complaint I have: the wood veneer trim band looks and feels artificial.

The controls screen. This is the one item I was really prepared to dislike but found myself right at home with the more intuitive functions and the overall size of the screen is less imposing than photos, videos and editorial would lead one to believe. While I did not get a chance to go through many of the driver functions, what I saw reassured me.

Rear passenger compartment. OK its tight. But that’s not a surprise. Knee room is just at the edge of acceptable but this is a 3-Series not a Model S. What was a very pleasant surprise was the comfort level of the rear seats and the reasonable headroom – the individual who accompanied the owner was 6’4″ and they fit quite nicely in the back seat.

Trunk space was a pleasant surprise with the cavern being both tall and deep. Plus the below floor additional storage and Frunk space make the Model 3 a nice weekend trip vehicle. The rear end styling is really beautiful in person. The integrated deck spoiler is a great styling feature.

Aero Wheel covers love’em. Hate’em. Take them off when you don’t need them. The owner verified the better range but agreed that they should be taken off. They said that right now the lugs are exposed so removing the aero isn’t the best look.

First impressions are very positive and I look forward to the actual roadtest. The owner said that passing performance 40 to 60 mph is blistering fast – like about 1 second. I look forward to verifying that myself soon.

What the Model 3 is not is the Model S. It is not a family hauler like the Model X. It is a perfect daily commuter that will be very comfortable to drive (to be confirmed with that test drive).

The 1% Solution – The 99% Reality

This past August 2017 marked the 5th Anniversary of my transition from “gas to electric” driving, logging about 70,000 miles in either all electric (Nissan LEAF, Tesla Model S) or Plug-In Hybrid Electric (Chevrolet VOLT) vehicles. In thinking about my life experience as an EV driver, I wanted to share my perspective as the US EV market cracks the 1%mark and the 99% Reality of why I believe that EVs can be the ‘go to’ vehicle for the vast majority of driving circumstances. [photo: 2013 VOLT on delivery day 8-16-2012]. Continue reading →

Forbes. The Wall Street Journal & Car Sharing.

The GIG Economy. That term came up during a recent lunch I had with a former GE colleague. After I got the download on how architects and electrical engineers specify electrical components – EV charging stations in particular – in new building construction (I recently joined ChargePoint – the #1 provider of electric vehicle charging stations ChargePoint from GE), our conversation turned to how I had largely funded my own ‘pre-owned’ Tesla Model S through a combination of tax credits (Federal and the now defunct Georgia income tax credits), rental income through a platform called “TURO” and applying IRS luxury car business use depreciation schedule and setting up an LLC (GeorgiaEVentures LLC).

By my calculations, I slashed over $35,000 off the cost of my 2015 Tesla Model S60 (sticker price of $84,700) gently guiding it down to its value as a 2 year old 22,000 mile Tesla according to KBB.com. Goal accomplished. A year ahead of schedule.

Mike, my GE colleague, was impressed and asked me to send him some information about how I pulled this off. Well, thanks to Turo’s success, they attracted the attention of two global powerhouse publications: Forbes and The Wall Street Journal and my story got told.

Forbes focused their story on how two new car owners have largely funded the purchase of their high end vehicles through renting their cars out on Turo. One of those owners is your very own AtlantaEVDC Blog Editor. The writer did a really good job capturing the details about helping to fund a car like a Tesla Model S through TURO. Here’s the link to the Forbes article: Turo’s ‘Airbnb For Car Owners’ Helps Consumers Pay Off Auto Loans Faster.

The Wall Street Journal story focused on the emerging impact of car-sharing and ride sharing services as well as autonomous driving on car ownership. Using a similar story-line, my experience using Turo to partially fund my Tesla Model S was presented. The Wall Street Journal also provided some commentary about my interest in self-driving cars (Baby Boomer) versus my younger son (Millenial) and co-founder of this blog:

Mr. Cohen, after spending about two years renting out his Model S on Turo, has begun to wind down that effort. “At almost exactly the second anniversary of that note, I paid off my Tesla,” he says. He’s keeping an eye on Tesla’s ambitions for renting out autonomous vehicles, though he is dubious about giving up the thrill of driving. “For me, autonomous driving is not something I am looking forward to,” he said, “but I can tell you that my 25-year-old son and recent UVA Law School graduate certainly is.”

As the 2017 Georgia General Assembly 40-day legislative session wraps up, electric vehicle drivers continue to be saddled with the highest road use fees in the US ($204.50 in 2017) and future drivers will see no incentives to adopt electric vehicles as measures to advance both a reduction in the fees and add an incentive failed to gain support within the Georgia Legislature.

Futher the bill to simply clarify that commercial and retail businesses could qualify for up to $2,500 state tax credit for charging station installation also failed to advance for the third session in a row . . . a tax credit that is still on the books and can only be claimed by Southern Company’s Georgia Power, which to their credit, was likely used to help finance the 36 community charging islands installed by Georgia Power over the past two years.

So what does this mean for Georgia and EV Drivers?

The State of Georgia has rapidly solidified its reputation for being the most-EV unfriendly state in the US, which is having a significant impact on Electric vehicle purchases which have stalled at 2015 levels. A state fleet of 25,000 plug-ins represents a mix of low priced used Nissan LEAFs and growth from Tesla models off-setting the precipitious decline in new plug-in electric vehicle sales from Chevrolet, BMW, Ford, KIA, and Nissan.

It has been rumored that Volkswagen of America’s Electrify America business unit, which is charged with dispensing up to $4.7 Billion in ‘diesel-gate’ remediation funds, rejected the City of Atlanta’s funding petition due to the State of Georgia demonstrating its ‘anti EV’ stance through repealing the ZEV/LEV income tax credit and imposing the $200.00 annual road use fee. Likely the City of Atlanta lost out on several million dollars worth of EV charging infrastructure due to the decisions of the Georgia General Assembly.

If there is a silver lining, the small but growing number of EV owners in the Georgia General Assembly are ‘feeling the pain’ and have stated their commitment to address the Road Use fee again in the 2018 General Assembly. We support them and wish them “God Speed”.

Tell Your Representatives to Reduce the Punitive EV User FeeGeorgia has the highest EV user fee in the U.S. – let’s fix that!

Reposting from Southern Alliance for Clean Energy – Take Action Now

In 2015, Georgia passed a new user fee on electric vehicles (EVs). This $200 fee (increasing annually) makes EVs the highest taxed vehicles on the road in Georgia. It is negatively impacting adoption and reducing the ability of more Georgians to adopt this new, cleaner technology.

Georgia lawmakers have the opportunity, right now, to help reduce that fee. HB 317 was introduced that will reduce the fee from $200 to $100. While this fee is still higher than many of the other states that impose such a fee, it will reduce the burden to current and future EV owners. Help us keep the pressure on!

Find your legislator here and add them to your email going to the Chairman

Copy and paste the sample text; customize it, especially if you drive an EV!

Hit send!

Dear Representative [Insert Name] and Chairman Tanner,

I am writing to urge you to support HB 317 that would lower the punitive electric vehicle user fee. I drive a (INSERT YOUR EV HERE). I am paying more in road use fees than a pickup truck or an SUV. I agree that a road use fee is fair for an electric vehicle, but the current fee is unfair and punitive.

I currently pay tax on the electricity I use to power my EV, but I am now also paying the $204.20 user (registration) fee plus an additional fee for the Alternative Fuel tag ($35).

EVs are now the highest taxed vehicles on the road in Georgia. It is negatively impacting retention and adoption of electric vehicles and reducing the ability of more Georgians to adopt this new, cleaner technology.

Alternative fuel vehicles are good for the Georgia economy as they are using power generated in Georgia and the dollars stay in Georgia.